Fricker replacement school in limbo

The new elementary school slated to be built on the W.J. Fricker site remains in limbo.

“The new elementary school on the W.J. Fricker site, well it’s suppose to move forward, but we’re not hearing anything from the (Education) Ministry at this time,” says Near North District School Board chairman David Thompson.

However, ministry spokeswoman Heather Irwin said it has yet to receive the board’s request to proceed to tender.

“The ministry approved a school space template for the project in July 2018, which allowed the board to seek the services of an architect for the project,” she said.

“As a next step, the board must submit a request for approval to proceed to tender. The ministry has not yet received the board’s request for approval.”

The board announced in February it expected to receive $12.4 million to construct a junior kindergarten to Grade 6 school on the W.J. Fricker site.

The new school would accommodate junior kindergarten to Grade 6 students from E.T. Carmichael and E.W. Norman, and students from the extended French program in grades 5 and 6 at W.J. Fricker.

The new school also is to include integrated child-care facilities, including two pre-school rooms for infants and toddlers, as well as a new EarlyON Child and Family Centre.

Fricker is slated to close next June, and in September 2019 grades 5 and 6 students from Fricker would attend E.W. Norman while the new school is being constructed.